1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vanadium antimony oxide catalysts for the selective oxidation and ammoxidation of paraffins, olefins, and aromatic compounds. More specifically, the invention relates to a slurry preparation of vanadium antimony oxide based catalysts in a liquid solvent medium comprising an organic solvent.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Commercial processes for the production of acrylonitrile employ propylene as a feedstock. However, because of the price differential between propylene and propane, an economic incentive exists for the development of a commercial process for the ammoxidation of propane to acrylonitrile. The development of such a process depends upon a viable catalyst useful for the conversion of propane to acrylonitrile.
Catalyst comprising the oxides of vanadium, antimony and optional promoter elements (referred to herein as vanadium antimony oxide catalysts) useful in the ammoxidation of propane to acrylonitrile along with various methods of making such catalysts are taught in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,994,259; 5,866,502; 5,498,588; 5,332,855; 5,258,543; 5,214,016; 5,008,427; 4,788,317; 4,784,979; 4,746,641; 3,860,534; and 3,681,421. The preparation of vanadium antimony type catalysts disclosed in these patents all react a slurry of the vanadium and antimony source compounds in a wholly aqueous medium. U.S. Pat. No. 6,083,869, vanadium and antimony source compounds are dissolved in a saturated alcohol or a mixture of saturated alcohol and water, and then contacted with an ammonium salt in order to precipitate the vanadium antimony oxide.